Lamp.



No.. 802,678. PATENTED 00T. 24, 1905..

` W. D. BOYCE.

LAMR

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 22, 1905.

W'ILLlAM D. BOYOE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oet. 24, 1905.

Application filed June 22, 1905. Serial No. 266,457.

To all 'wl/tom if; may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM D. Boren, a citi- Zen oi' the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new an d useiul Improvement in Lamps` of which the 'following is a full, clear. and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which is appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional view through a lantern in which my invention is applied, the electric lamp and its accessories being shown in elevation. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the lamp and its base, and Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of an oil-lamp to be used in lieu oi' the electric lamp.

This invention relates to signal-lanterns, and particularly to that class which are employed for track signals and utilized on switches.

One of the objects o't the invention is to provide a means for adapting the ordinary signal-lantern usually equipped with an oillamp font to an electric lamp, or the electric lamp may be interchanged one for the other in a convenient and expeditious manner.

For convenience oi' illustration I have shown my invention applied to a lamp constructed in acciordance with the lamp illustrated in the patent to A. F. Prahm, July 24C, 1888, No. 386,495, which lamp forms no part of my invention, except in so far as the parts thereof cooperate with the novel features of my device associated therewith.

The base of the lamp 1 is provided with a i'loor 2, having the usual socket 3 for the reception of a spindle of the switch with which the lamp is associated, so that the rotation et' said spindle will display the safety or danger signals in the usual manner, all of which is clearly understood. The floor 2 oi' the lamp is "provided with an upstanding iiange t. This iiange t provides a seat ior either the lamp-font or the removable lamp-supporting' block 5. (Illustratedin perspective in Fig. The block 5 is preferably circular in contour, and it is provided with a socket (5 for thereception of a lamp 7. An upstanding approximately semicircular oilset shoulder or projection 8 is provided on the base 5 for interlocking' engagement with a spring-catch 9 within the lamp, which spring-catch 9 is also adapted for engagement with the top of the oil-font 10, which may be interchanged for said block 5.

The conductors 11 and 12 are connected to the terminals 13 and 14., carried by the insulating-block 15. The said projecting terminals 13 and la are adapted to be inserted into receiving-openings in the insulator-block 16, which is Vfast to the interior wall of the lamp. The conductors 17 and 18 are introduced into the said openings for'contact with the contacts 13 and 141, said. conductors 17 and 18 receiving current from the main-line conductor. (Not shown.) rlhese conductors 17 and 18 pass through a hollow gland 19, which is carried by the ioor 2 of the lamp.

From the main-line conductor the various lamps will be fed to supply the necessary current, so that a given stretch of track may be lighted from a single source and it will not be necessary to light each individual lamp. The saving in time oi' lighting the lamps, as well as the advantages accruing from the increased candle-power in each lamp and the probable reduction in cost in illuminating' the tracklamps, will be material; but should any accident occur which would make it impossible to maintain the lamps illuminated for any period o1" time the blocks 5 may be instantly removed and the oil-font 10 substituted without delay on account of a darkened track.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that by equipping the system of lamps with the devices heretofore described the lighting may be done from an electrical source of energy and in such a manner that the eliciency of the lamps will not be impaired on account of inability to substitute oil-fonts. This is the important Afeature oli' my invention, because the chief objection to electrically lighting the track-lam ps has been that in the event of damage to the electrical source of energy or in the event that the supply to the lamps should become cut oii` no means was provided for substituting' oil-fonts. This objection I have overcome, and the simplest form now known to me by which the desired result can be accomplished is illustrated and described in this application. However, l would have it understood that l do not limit myself to the exact details o1 construction, but reserve the right to make such changes and alterations as may suggest themselves from time to time and which come within the scope oil thefollowing claims.

Having thus described my invention, what IOO IIO

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a lamp of the class described, the combination with a seat for holding an oil-font, and having means for retaining the font in its seat, of an electric-lamp-supporting block interchangeable with the oil-font and having means for engaging the seat and for engaging the retaining means, electric contacts Within the first-named lamp, and electric contacts flexibly connected to the electric-lamp blocl; and for engagement with the contacts in the first-named lamp; substantially as described.

2. In a lamp of the class described, the combination with a seat in said lamp and a fastening device above the seat, of a block for holding an electric lamp in said seat, an oiset shoulder on said block 'for engagement With the fastening device, and electrical connections with said block for supplying current to the electric lamp; substantially as described.

3. In a lamp of the class described, the combination with a seat in said lamp, and a fastening device above the seat, of a blocl for holding an electric lamp in said seat, said block having an upstanding shoulder which partakes of the contour of the body portion of said block, the upper surface or' which is adapted to be engaged by the fastening' device, and electrical contacts carried by said block; substantially as described. Y

In testimony Whereotl I hereunto atiix my signature, in the presence ot' two Witnesses, this 19th day of J une, 1905.

I/VILLIAM D. BOYGE. vWitnesses:

B. I?. FUNK, GEORGE BAKEWELL. 

